SB Nation - Keaton Kristick

Leave It In Las Vegas!

AndyPanda — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 07:08:33 -0000

Either OSU didn't learn from the year's first venture to Las Vegas, or maybe they did. After one of the weaker performances of the season in the second week, also on a windy night, the return trip was a poster case for the saying that what happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas.

After four losses by 25 points all season, this one was by 24. And it wouldn't have been that close but for a pair of perfect passes by quarterback of the future Ryan Katz.

The Las Vegas bowl was the worst defensive outing of the season, and the 12^th. worst of 13 offensive showings, and it came at a bad time, in front of the entire country.

After struggling with the Vegas dessert winds, and then the two home losses that followed, also in the wind, a passing attack and a kicking game that wasn't prepared for windy conditions was inexplicable, and inexcusable.

The second game at the end of the season with a national audience on ESPN, on nights with no other football, this one was much more damaging to the OSU brand than a close loss to Oregon was. That game was generally seen as a good game, one that either team could have lost, but one both teams walked away from with more respect than they entered with.

This one was a lost opportunity to look like OSU belonged in the national spotlight. A spotlight that they will again be in come September, in Dallas, against a TCU team that is markedly better than the BYU unit that reeled off 37 consecutive points when the game was in question. A spotlight that will be harsh if another effort that looks like something less than the showing that emerging power Middle Tennessee displayed Sunday results.

Instead, the skeptics from the rest of the BCS regimen, as well as the Mt. West Conference, saw nothing that will cause them to take another look. Poor fundamentals and poor decisions don't just produce poor results, they expose poor preparation.

By all pregame analysis, the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas, matching two ranked teams for the first time ever, was expected to be one of the top five post-season contests of the season. Instead, the Beavers were beaten in every quarter, so much so that most of the country probably didn't stay around to see anything after midway in the third period.

All-Pac-10 first team quarterback Sean Canfield, who had a 70% completion rate in the regular season, was below 50%, as was Katz. The Rodgers brothers, usually good for around 300 yards between them, were held below 200 yards total, and rarely saw any space to run against a BYU defensive unit that dared OSU to show them something different.

Only Damola Adeniji had what could be considered a good night, hauling in seven balls for 107 yards and a touchdown. No one else among the other eight Beavers with a catch exceeded 40 yards.

And while Oregon St. started strong, with two defensive stops and two sacks, once the Cougars adjusted, the Beavers never counter-adjusted. BYU running back Harvey Unga was held to 71 yards, and no rushes for over eight yards, but quarterback Max Hall overcame the windy conditions that confounded Canfield for much of the night for 19 completions out of 30 attempts, producing 192 yards, and three touchdowns.

Hall had receivers open all night, the product of precise route running, and another indication of preparation, while Canfield threw into double and even triple coverage repeatedly.

The theme of the night was a surprising lack of adjustments from the OSU side. With nearly three weeks between games, BYU shouldn't have taken OSU by surprise, or without options. Unless there was an assumption that this might somehow be easy?

The institution didn't approach the event that will be the lasting showcase of the year with a sense of urgency at any level. While it was evident the team was unprepared, that was just symptomatic of the approach to the event. Around campus almost daily, there was never any indication from the top administrative level that this event happening, much less important.

That message trickled down the chain. For example, while BYU sent their full band in support, OSU decided that they should leave 2/3 of theirs at home. When there is a lack of commitment from the powers that be, is it any surprise that's the message the team, that left apparently about 2/3 of their game at home, got?

As a result, the ESPN money for the preseason trips to Texas and Boise, plus the Louisville game, will have to go a long way. Because the Las Vegas audition won't produce a rush to pick up Oregon St. for a lot of weekly games as next season rolls along. Should the daunting task of two road games against BCS bowl teams that return as many or more starters than the 17 the Beavers bring back not go well, the marketing department could well be looking at a team that is on a 1-4 run come the start of conference play.

And BYU's well conceived defensive strategy, one that absolutely pushed the Beaver offensive line around almost all night, put the Heisman Hype for Jacquizz Rodgers on the back of the bottom shelf, at least for a while. That takes away another reason for lucrative television selections, and makes filling Reser more unlikely.

In difficult economic times, wasting a rare opportunity to showcase your most marketable assets by being unprepared when the lights go on is hard to fathom. And not what you would expect from those we all pay a lot to make sure Beaver nation is at their best.

No one will accuse Oregon St., or at least their students, of not trying. But the old college try doesn't displace SEC programs, or even the leading mid-majors. BYU recognized the magnitude of the opportunity, and came loaded for bear. The Beavers didn't.

And while an eight win season isn't bad, it was the fewest wins in four years, and the most losses. Also the first time a Riley squad has been beaten in a bowl game, much less embarrassed. Only in his first year as head coach in Corvallis (1997), then in the 5-6 2005 season, and now in 2009, has a Riley team finished the season with two losses.

Here's hoping for a successful showcase season in the all-star games and then the scouting combines for Sean Canfield and Keaton Kristick. Otherwise, Las Vegas, known for separating visitors from money, and a poor plan, may cost these Beavers far more than any casino could.

The returning players are the type that will come back from holiday break and on their own go to work. Anyone really think James Rodgers won't take it to yet another level in his offseason work?

But the most important off-season work won't be on the field in spring practice. It will be done in offices in the Valley Football Center and Gill Coliseum, when what went wrong is (hopefully) carefully analyzed, and a new plan is crafted.

The Enemy of My Enemy, Part I: The Rose Bowl

Bama Hawkeye — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:15:09 -0000

As we begin preparing for the year in which the Big Ten shocks the college football world by winning five of its seven bowls, let's learn about the opponents. Oh sure, we could turn to the fans of our opponents and ask them questions about their beloved cats, birds, and bees. But this site was founded upon the idea of rivals. That's why we're talking with our opponents' rivals. After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

As we look at the Rose Bowl, AndyPanda of the outstanding Oregon State blog, Building the Dam, was kind enough to answer these questions that we had about the hated Oregon Ducks.

1. What schemes worked best for you on defense against Oregon's motion Pistol, spread sweeps, and zone read attack?

The key to contending with Coach Chip Kelley's spread option read offense is to play assignment football, and maintain gap and assignment discipline, and do it all night long. A traditional style pro defense. You cannot over-pursue, and one step can be too much, as the speed Oregon has will run into, or cut back thru, any gap a mistake opens. The Ducks' offense is predicated on option reads, and Jeremiah Masoli is a master at quick recognition and decision making.

Masoli isn't an exceptional thrower, but he is good enough to capitalize on an assignment error, as was evidenced when OSU's James Dockery over-committed on Jeff Maehl, and there was no safety support. The result was an immediate over the top 73 yard touchdown.

And while Masoli is rightly known for his running ability, his reads can just as easily result in someone else being the star. With cornerback Tim Clark already out with a broken leg, all conference Keaton Kristick missed only one play with a tweaked wrist. Masoli immediately sent LaMichael James thru where Kristick and Clark would have been for a 52 yard touchdown.

Those two plays, one break down, and one where a personnel vulnerability existed, were the difference in the game, producing over a quarter of the Ducks' total yards, and underscoring how important it is to maintain discipline against Oregon's offense on every play.

2. What's going to happen when Ohio State's (C) Michael Brewster (296 lbs), (RG), Bryant Browning (312 lbs), (LG) Justin Boren (315 lbs), (LT) J.B. Shugarts (298 lbs), and (RT) Jim Cordle (297 lbs) line up against Oregon's (LDT) Brandon Bair (250 lbs) (RDT) Blake Ferras (290 lbs), (RDE) Kenny Rowe (230 lbs), and (LDE) Will Tukuafu (272 lbs)? That's an average of 43 pounds difference at each position. Do the Buckeyes get burnt, or does Oregon get crushed?

A variety of blitzes and stunts will happen. The Oregon linebacking crew of Eddie Pleasant, Casey Matthews, and Spencer Paysinger are fast enough that they can come from anywhere, and if an offensive line releases to pick up the blitz, Tukuafu is strong enough, and Rowe is fast enough, to recover despite being initially stopped, and still make the play.

A sustained power running game can work against the Ducks, as Stanford demonstrated, but it must start with an effective passing game that pushes back Oregon's back seven. The key to overcoming the Duck defense is to prevent them from running toward the line of scrimmage, which allows them to capitalize on their speed.

3. The Beavers put 30 points up on the Ducks in the first 35 minutes of the game. The final 25 minutes saw the Beavers only get a field goal. How was OSU able to dominate the Ducks early, and what did Oregon do late to turn the tide?

Early on, Oregon St. quarterback Sean Canfield was on, and by completing a number of passes, was able to keep the Oregon defense backpedaling much of the time, not attacking the line of scrimmage.

What Oregon did in the second half was keep the ball away from Oregon St. The Ducks are known for being a quick strike offense that doesn't need a time of possession advantage to generate points and wins, but few teams will win a firefight against the Rodgers brothers and Canfield. Against the Beavers, the Ducks played defense with their offense.

Oregon knew the best way to curb the Rodgers are to have them standing on the sidelines as much of the time as possible. With a boost in their power running game from LeGarrett Blount, Oregon held the ball for about 18 and a half of the last 26 minutes, and over 13 minutes in the last 17 and a half minutes. The Beavers only had one fourth quarter possession.

So limited in their number of opportunities, the weather, in the 20's, resulted in a couple of dropped balls off receivers' hands, resulting in a field goal instead of a probable touchdown, and another stalled drive. And the difference in the game when the Ducks were able to keep the Beavers' offense off the field for over six minutes at the end of the game. Both Kenjon Barner and Masoli won individual matchups, where the OSU defense was in position to make the play, and one on one, just got beat. The Ducks converted three fourth downs in the game, two on the final drive.

4. Much of the rest of the country looks at Oregon as having fashion models, not football players. Has the Oregon fan base embraced the Phil Knight-ification of their football team, or would they rather focus on the game?

The Oregon fan base loves Uncle Phil, who epitomizes the high dollar image most of them aspire to. And if any aspect of the image in any way causes a distraction of any sort, that's just another advantage they gain.

Admit it. You wish he went to your school.

5. What can Buckeye fans do in advance of the game to most annoy Oregon fans?

Remind them of the Stanford and Boise St. games, where they were physically dominated, then talk about how good Washington is going to be soon. It doesn't matter if Washington actually will be good or not; they hate the Huskies, almost as much as the Huskies hate them. Or talk about how college football games should be "dry" events. [ed. note: The Rivalry, Esq. does not and cannot endorse dry sporting events. We encourage Buckeye fans to use the other recommended methods of criticism]

Thank you again to AndyPanda of Building the Dam. We wish the Beavers the best of luck in beating the hell into BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Seven of 12 All-Pac-10 Beavers On First Team

AndyPanda — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:04:45 -0000

Twelve Oregon St. Beaver footballers received All Pac-10 honors, seven on the first team.

Four members of the Beavers' offense are on the first team, including Sean Canfield, quarterback, Jacquizz Rodgers, running back, James Rodgers, wide receiver, and Greg Peat, guard.

Joining the first team from the defense are Keaton Kristick, linebacker, and Stephen Paea, tackle. And Suaesi Tuimaunei was named the first team special teams player that is not a kicker or a return specialist.

The seven were more than any other team placed on the first team.

Placekicker Justin Kahut was named the second team kicker, behind All-American Kai Forbath of UCLA.

Center Alex Linnenkohl was one of four Beavers to receive honorable mention, as were three linebackers, including middle linebacker David Pa'aluhi, and outside linebackers Dwight Roberson and Keith Pankey. Roberson and Pankey are notable for this accomplishment, because neither were full time players, instead splitting time at the position.

The offensive player of the year was Stanford running back Toby Gerhart, while UCLA tackle Brian Price was named the Pat Tillman defensive player of the year.

First year coach Chip Kelly was named the Coach of the Year, after leading the Oregon Ducks to the Pac-10 title, and winning the conference by as much as two games for the first time since 1991.

The complete list is available on the Pac-10 site.

Thursday night NFL Draft watch notes

Mocking Dan — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:10:29 -0000

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

2 months ago: Oregon State quarterback Sean Canfield cocks his arm to throw a pass against Arizona State in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009, in Tempe, Ariz. Oregon State won 28-17. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)

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Considering tonight's Oregon/Oregon State game is for a spot in the Rose Bowl, it might be good idea to tune in. And if you, you'll see a good bit of NFL talent on display.

• The best pro prospect on the field tonight could be Oregon senior T.J. Ward. Although he's only played in six games this year because of injuries, he's very effective. He has 53 tackles on the year and is equally adept against the run and pass. He plays a hybrid position for the Ducks, but projects as a strong safety at the next level.

• After Ward, the next best player is Ducks tight end Ed Dickson. The senior is a great athlete with a good vertical leap and solid speed. His production has been a little inconsistent this season, but he has 42 receptions for 551 yards and six touchdowns. He could be a second-round pick.

• Oregon junior middle linebacker Casey Matthews is the latest in the Matthews tree of football players. His brother, Clay Matthews, is having a good rookie year for the Packers. Casey isn't as great of an athlete, but he's productive and heady.

• After struggling early in his career, Oregon State quarterback Sean Canfield is having a banner season. In his senior campaign, Canfield is completing 70 percent of his passes for 2,797 yards, 19 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Canfield is a traditional pocket passer and puts a great touch on his passes. He's a left-handed thrower rising up draft boards. When the rankings are re-done here again, look for Canfield to be in the heart of the top 10 seniors.

• Beavers defensive tackle Stephen Paea might be slightly undersized at 6-foot-1 and 288 pounds, but he's very stout against the run. Paea is a fundamentally sound lineman with good agility and technique.

• Senior linebacker Keaton Kristick is a player to keep an eye on tonight. He's 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds and leads the Beavers in tackles with 80. He has seven for a loss to go with two interceptions and a sack. Kristick has some flaws -- he's not especially fluid in space, he struggles to get off blocks -- but he can be coached up at the next level.

‘I really don’t like these guys’

AndyPanda — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:48:44 -0000

Keaton Kristick talked turkey, and gave his opinion on tonight's Civil War in his column for the Sporting News Today.

Thanksgiving was lots of fun. I hung out with Coach (Mike) Riley and his family. They made a meal for a few of us. I got to sit next to Coach Riley at the dinner table-that was the highlight of my Thanksgiving. He's really down to earth and a family guy. He stays true to his values and is just a good person.

We talked football a little bit-Thanksgiving football and whatnot. But aside from that, it was just a relaxing day. He was talking about how he didn't go into the office that day. It was nice.

It didn't take long to get down to the good stuff Wednesday morning.

Oh yeah, that Oregon game. I've been asked about it so many times, and it truly means a lot to the entire Corvallis community. You can feel it-it's electric in Corvallis. Wednesday morning there were some Ducks fans out protesting or something, making noise when I was trying to go to class.

On to the task at hand.

But it's all good, and I'm excited to play this game.

Last year's loss to Oregon was upsetting for the whole team, but for the seniors especially, knowing it was their last opportunity. Our coaches advised us to put ourselves in their shoes and do what we can this year to prepare and learn from last year. I think we've done that. We've practiced hard, and we couldn't ask for a better setting for a game.

At Autzen Stadium there's a constant hum. It's the noise. You just have to block it out. It isn't that big of a deal for the defense. You can still hear, but it gets pretty loud, probably about as loud as Reser Stadium at its loudest.

Kristick has an interesting take on the familiar Oregon quarterback's speed.

Oregon has some good athletes. I've told people that Jeremiah Masoli runs how I would run if I ever got the ball: a little finesse mixed with some power. It'll be fun playing against athletes like that.

The rivalry has also grown on Keaton.

The Civil War is really big in Oregon. In Arizona, where I'm from, the rivalry isn't that big between Arizona and Arizona State. So coming into a rivalry like this is amazing.

People like to make assumptions about how Oregon State is, and how Oregon is. I like to think we're somewhat similar. The only difference I can really see is in the two college towns. Aside from that, we're pretty similar people. Everyone travels down from the same city, Portland, for the most part. And a lot of people like to label us as this blue-collar team with inferior athletes. I like to tell them we do work hard, but we also have a lot of athletes on our team that people really don't see.

My first two years, I really had no reason to hate Oregon-there's no reason to hate them when you're winning the Civil War. But after losing the last one, it kind of sunk in: I really don't like these guys. I have to do what I have to do because this is my last opportunity to play against them. I'd hate to go out with a sour taste in my mouth.

- As told to Jim Ryan

Getting close to time for Kristick to lock the sights on!

Playing with swine flu? It’s a joke, people

AndyPanda — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:24:18 -0000

Oregon St. captain Keaton Kristick is back with another installment of his column for the Sporting News Today, with thoughts on the Washington game, the prospect of snow in Pullman, and his bout with the bug.

The Washington game was kind of nuts for us. It was my last home game at Oregon State. It was really neat running out there for the last time and getting all the support from the fans. It was really special to me and my family.

As far as the game, the defense played really well. I had an interception early in the game. I made some eye contact with the receiver and quarterback and put myself in a position where I thought something was going to happen, and it turns out it did. It was a quick throw to the flat. I thought it would be uncatchable but decided to dive and just caught it

Kristick also had thoughts on Washington's quarterback Jake Locker, and the overall performance of the defense.

Washington's quarterback, Jake Locker, is a good player. You can just tell by the way he carries himself around, and he's got a really strong arm. We limited that a little bit. I think the pressure up front really disrupted his timing, and they couldn't get a run game going, so it made him one-dimensional. I think our defense was really clicking on Saturday, and it's that time of the season.

Everyone talks about the familiar theme of strong late season play by Coach Mike Riley's teams that gives the Beavers another shot at the Rose Bowl again this year, and Keaton is no exception.

Oregon State teams do the best this time of year, October to November. I'm not sure what it is, but it's kind of neat. I'm pretty sure our fans are just as excited as we are. It's the same excitement as last year going into the last couple of games, and we just have to capitalize.

We still have a shot at the Rose Bowl, and to be in a situation like this is pretty much what you play the game for. Now we just have to have a solid week against Washington State in practice and out on the playing field. And you never know what's going to happen. That's what's good about the Pac-10. Anything can happen, especially this year.

But the immediate subject is of course the Washington St. Cougars, and in a stormy November, snow seems likely, something an Arizona boy doesn't have a lot of experience with.

We haven't really seen too much about Washington State. But at this point, we're going to brace for a not necessarily warm game. It should be cold from what I hear. It might be snowing a little bit, and I've never really played in an atmosphere like that. From what I hear, it's just wet. I've seen snow on campus at Oregon State probably three or four times, but I'm not all too used to it. It should be a lot of fun.

I probably will be wearing a long-sleeved shirt beneath my jersey. But the linemen who go sleeveless, I see what they're going for. When you get into the game, weather doesn't really impact anyone.

We'll see about it not impacting anyone. Fortunately, it sounds as though Keaton won't have to play in the snow while still suffering from the flu.

I'm feeling pretty healthy now, but I've been sick the last few weeks, and I lost a little weight. I've been fighting a virus or something. I had about a 101 temperature against USC and a 100 temperature last week. It's not swine flu, of course. But I was telling people I was playing, ‘Hey I have swine flu right now, be careful.' Only as a joke, though.

- As told to Jim Ryan

OPPONENT PREVIEW: Oregon State Beavers

Dancing Football — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:22:40 -0000

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

Raise your hands if you are awesome!

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(12:08 EDIT: I added Nuss's interview with Building the Dam)

Head Coach: Mike Riley

Record 7-3 (5-2)

In Grady's recap of Washington State's loss to Arizona a few weeks ago, he decided to go with a sort of "fill-in-the-blank" form, instead of writing a same as usual story about a game that was never in doubt. This is how the opponent previews have begun to feel.

Seriously, go take a look at the opponent previews of all the Pac 10 teams. It is always "Pac 10 team X has a solid running game and balance that with a good passing attack" and "Pac 10 defense X has done pretty well against the run and the pass and is about average in terms of yards per play." It's no surprise the race for the Rose Bowl is so jammed up this year, ALL THE TEAMS ARE EXACTLY THE SAME! Except the Cougs of course. As a comment to the rest of the country, that does not mean the Pac 10 sucks, it means it is deep with a lot of very good teams. Just remember, our fifth place team beat Ohio State in the Horseshoe with a freshman quarterback. What was the point of this post again? Oh yeah, on with the preview of the Beavs.

Offense: 31.4 PPG, 5.8 YPP

The Beaver offense may not be an explosive attack (guessing they will look like one on Saturday), but it is highly effective in all aspects of the game. Senior Sean Canfield is having a fantastic season, completing nearly 70% of his passes, while throwing 17 touchdowns to just five interceptions. He has not been immune to pressure however, as he has been sacked 26 times this season.

The bulk of the offense is run through two guys who grew up in the same household. The younger brother, Jacquizz Rodgers, has been a workhorse, carrying the ball 215 times for 1148 yards and catching 62 passes. The elder James Rodgers leads the Beavers with 71 receptions and has also carried the ball 46 times. If you were to guess on each Beaver play that a guy with the last name "Rodgers" would be involved, you would be right more often than not.

No shocker to Coug fans, OSU should have an easy time moving the ball. The issue of pressure on Canfield should not be a factor, as the Washington State defense will be taking volunteers from the stands to fill out the defensive line.

Defense: 23.4, 5.5 YPP

The Beavs don't have a particularly stout defense in term of yards per play and they don't possess that ability to get in the backfield they used to (14 sacks, just three more than the vaunted Cougar pass rush). What they have down really well is get off the field on third downs. Opponents are converting just 37% of their opportunities, and that has made the difference in what is otherwise only slight statistical advantages across the board. They haven't forced a lot of turnovers (just 11), but that is not as necessary with their ability to prevent the other guys from moving the chains.

The leading tackler for OSU is senior linebacker Keaton Kristick, who has 74 to go along with a pair of interceptions and 6.5 tackles for loss. Sophomore defensive back Lance Mitchell has three of the team's seven interceptions. Junior Stephen Paea leads the defensive line with 5.5 tackles for loss, including three sacks.

Look for Oregon State to out-man the Cougs on this side of the ball. Points will not be easy to come by, with sustained drives highly unlikely. It is going to take another deep pass for Wazzu to score in this one.

The Beavers are in trouble if: They are not. Not at all. One place where these two schools do stack up well is in the engineering department. On that note, I suggest you click this link, and laugh hysterically.

What the other guys are saying: An interview previewing the Cougs’ upcoming game against Oregon State with BuildingTheDam.com writer Jake Bertalotto. Topics covered include the Beavers’ potent three-headed attack on offense, the keys to their defense, and just how determined OSU is to not have a repeat of last year. You can listen to the interview on the embedded player here, go to our podcast site, or subscribe to it on iTunes.

Beavers 48, Huskies 21: Beavers Take Care of Business on Crazy Pac-10 Saturday

Jake Bertalotto — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:11:03 -0000

More photos » by Greg Wahl-Stephens - AP

about 1 month ago: Oregon State's Joe Kalahuni (87) celebrates his second touchdown catch against Washington with Brady Camp (83) and Howard Croom (88) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Corvallis, Ore., Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009. Oregon State beat Washington 48-21. (AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens)

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Final Score: Oregon State 48, Washington 21

It's hard to believe, but yes-- Washington did beat USC eight weeks ago, and Arizona five weeks ago

It's been that kind of year in the Pac-10. You never know what to expect week to week, but one thing is for certain: the Beavers are improving, and they're better now then they were when they lost games to Cincinnati, Arizona, and USC.

The Beavers are much more dynamic on offense. It was evident in the first half of Saturday's game--as it was last week-- that Oregon State simply didn't need to run the ball at times. The ground game with Quizz has been the bread and butter of the offense the past couple years, but with Sean Canfield playing out of his backside, the Beavers aren't as reliant on the run game. Quizz still got his yards though: 18 carries for 159 isn't a bad day at all, but half of those yards came on two plays.

It didn't hurt that UW's offensive line was no match for Steven Paea and the Oregon State defensive front. I heard on the radio broadcast that the starting left guard for the Huskies only lasted three plays before he got yanked. The first two Washington plays from scrimmage were both Chris Polk runs that went for a combined -4 yards-- the Huskies would battle to break even on rushing yards all throughout the first quarter. Three tackles for loss and one sack later, and the first quarter ended with Washington at (-1) in the rushing category.

Oregon State's opening drive of the game was just ugly-- Canfield was sacked on the first play then completed a couple passes for short gains. But their second drive was jump-started by a marvelous interception by senior Keaton Kristick that put the Beavers at the Washington 17 yard-line. James rushed for 14 yards to set up a nice play-action touchdown from Canfield to tight end Joe Halahuni. It was Halahuni's 27th reception of the year, but his first career Oregon State touchdown.

The Huskies would get a first down on their next drive, but after the Beaver defense shut down the Husky offense again, UW punter Will Mahan managed to boot a laughable 7-yard punt that set the Beavers up in prime field position for their next drive.

That drive included a humorous play in which Danny Langsdorf deployed the WildBeaver formation. Quizz handed the ball of to James on a fly sweep but the handoff wasn't made clean-- the ball dropped to the turf, and Quizz recovered the ball and ran for a nice three or four yard gain. A few plays later the Beavers tried to work magic with the Rodgers brothers on a reverse play, but that didn't really work either: Quizz flipped it to James, who was stuffed for a nice loss of about 8 yards. Canfield would hit Rodgers with a pass on the ensuing third down play that got the Beavers into field goal range, and Justin Kahut saved the day with a 44-yard field goal to make the score 10-0.

Ryan McCants made an appearance on the next OSU drive. He got a handoff, ran for a quick seven yards, then whoop! Lost the ball. Luckily, Alex Linnenkohl was there, and everything was okay. The Beavers would get another field goal on the drive, and take a 13-0 lead.

OSU sacked Locker for the second and third time of the day on UW's first drive of the second quarter. They'd get the ball back near the UW 30-yard line after a punt, but Quizz changed that on one play as he rushed up the middle for 44 yards to get into Husky territory. Canfield found Jordan Bishop for a 22 yard gain on a 3rd and 8 play, then found James Rodgers in the end zone for a six yard touchdown a few plays later, and everybody was happy: Beavers 21, Huskies 0.

It was on this drive that Quizz hurt his left leg somehow. Some speculated that he received a hip pointer on a 4-yard run that preceded the aforementioned touchdown catch by James, but he would re-enter the game in the second half looking better than before.

Before halftime, the Huskies would run 9 plays, take up 5 minutes of clock, and score-- then the Beavers countered with ten plays in 1:51 and another James Rodgers touchdown reception. The Beavers ran ten consecutive pass plays on the drive, and why not? Quizz was being attended to on the sideline, and if the passing game ain't broke, don't fix it. Quizz did run for 64 yards in the first half, but most of those came on a 44-yard run. Jake Locker was 7-of-10 passing at the half for just 39 yards.

The second half began with a 84-yard kickoff return by James Rodgers that came one yard away from being a kickoff return for a touchdown then Quizz would get the glory on an ensuing 1-yard touchdown run. Oregon State would move the ball at ease again on their next drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, and another Jaquizz Rodgers touchdown made the score 41-7 in favor of the Beavers.

By the time the third quarter came to a close, the game was over, but many of the Beaver starters remained in the game for much of the fourth quarter. The Beavers even broke out the WildBeaver again late in the fourth quarter, leading by four touchdowns. Quizz took the snap and ran up the middle for a 44-yard game that significantly padded his stats: he finished the game with 18 rushes for 159 yards.

Ryan Katz and some of the second string backs came in on Oregon State's final drive, and it started with OSU having to take a timeout because of some sort of confusion at the line of scrimmage. OSU would pick up a first down, then punt to the Huskies, who managed to score again with about a minute on the clock, making the final score seem closer than the game really was: Beavers 48, Huskies 21.

The Huskies recovered to gain a fair 274 yards of offense-- 121 on the ground. But the Beavers defense made it seem like less than that, and were really all over Chris Polk and Jake Locker all day. Locker was sacked four times in the game, but felt the pressure of the likes of Steven Paea and Brennan Olander more than that.

Sean Canfield finished the day 21-of-29 passing for 185 yards and four tochdowns-- two to James Rodgers, and two to Joe Halahuni. Halahuni's only two catches of the day went for touchdowns, his first two as a Beaver.

Mike Riley, who notched his 63rd win at Oregon State, was very happy with the result after the game: "It was like last week. We were really ready to play, but it didn't start of smoothly. Defensively, we were all over them and we never lost focus, it just seemed very workmanlike yet passionate at the same time. Guys kept going and making plaays, and it was really fun to see all the phases of the game today."

It's easy to quote players and coaches about the game, but it may have been a Husky fan that I overheard in the parking lot following the game who summed it up best:

"I'm drinking all the way home."

--Jake (jake.buildingthedam@gmail.com)

Q+A with Oregon State SBN site: Building The Dam

TwistNHook — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:00:22 -0000

More photos » by Greg Wahl-Stephens - AP

about 1 month ago: Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers (1) is pulled down by UCLA's Kyle Bosworth (54) and Tony Dye (6) during the first half of an NCAA college football in Corvallis, Ore., Saturday Oct. 31, 2009. (AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens)

Browse more photos »

This week, Cal takes on the Beavers of Oregon State. There are 2 SBN sites from Oregon, Addicted To Quack and Building The Dam. Many people say AtQ is the better site, but many people are wrong. While AtQ gets all the hype and is so flashy (giving all of their Masolithusiasts Playstation 3s!), BtD is the much more consistent site. Year in and year out they continue to produce stable, quality work. It is not as well known work, but every now and then they really show up Conquest Chronicles and everybody starts paying attention to them again.

We thought for the OSU game, we'd do a Q+A with them. Get their thoughts on this game, Building The Dam-style. After the jump, see what their thoughts are on the game and whether or not Chip Kelly's face should remain un-punched. And here are their answers to our questions! GO BEARS!

1. Quiz or Best, who would you take? Show your work.

Ah the great debate. Best is a more electrifying player, there is no doubt about it. But Quizz is hands down a better runner between the tackles, which is our offense. Throw in that he has a little bit more speed this year and he has broken out a few big runs, and I'll take Quizz. But don't get me wrong, I'm not comfortable playing against Jahvid Best.

2. What is the #1 strength of Canfield we gotta watch out for?

When he gets time he can wing the ball in there. He throws a nice, tight spiral. And lately he's added a very accurate deep ball that's burned quite a few corner backs. But they key to Canfield is he needs time. He can't do anything under pressure.

3. How angry does Oregon's win over USC make you guys?

I think we should all be happy that USC's reign as champion is over. But why couldn't it Stanford? Or you? Or UCLA? Or even UW?? What is most frustrating is not being able to turn on the TV or radio, pick up the newspaper, or leave anywhere outside of Corvallis without hearing about the awesomeness of UO.

4. Who should we watch out for on the Defense?

The thing about our defense this year is that nobody has stood out. There is no Victor Butler this year. Even Paea and Kristick (arguably our two best returners) have had modest years. But watch out for our linebacking core as a whole. They have started to step up the last 4 games and are helping ease pressure off the line and defensive backs.

via media.scout.com

5. Who do you want to punch in the face?

The entire Oregon football program. Chip Kelly told the NCAA and Pac10 that the Blount situation would be taken care of in house. He held a press conference stating that he would be suspended "indefinitely" but that only because they didn't want to kick him off the team and take away his scholarship. I thought that was the classiest move I've seen from a head coach. Then, as soon as the heat died down, they decide they will try and reinstate him. Oregon fans love Chip Kelly's attitude. I think he is the next Urban Meyer.

6. How've the Rodgers brothers been utilized this year that's different from last?

The WildBeav (I prefer WildQuizz) offense has been fun to watch. And Quizz threw a TD against UCLA! Other than that, its pretty much Q-ball all over again (Quizz and Quon ball),

7. Are the Beavers dead meat if one of them goes down?

Not if we play Pitt, of course. There's more depth in the receiving corps than at running back. Freshman WR Markus Wheaton is being groomed to run the fly sweep, but he's not James Rodgers yet. So if the Beavers had to take one guy, they'd take Quizz, but James is one helluva player and it's hard to even say that.

via blog.oregonlive.com

8. ESPN's Ted Miller thinks that Quizz should get invited to the Heisman ceremony. Do you agree or disagree? Do the following facts change your opinion? So far this year, Jahvid Best has a better yard per rush average than Rodgers (6.3 vs. 5.4). Jahvid Best also has a better yard per reception average than Rodgers (10.3 vs. 7.6). Jahvid Best also has a worse offensive line blocking for him. It sounds like Best might be doing more damage with less help. Does that give him a better claim to be a Heisman candidate than Rodgers?

Personally, and I know I'm going to catch shit about this, but LaMichael James from Oregon deserves more than either. In 8 games he has put up 918 yards and 11 TDs on only 131 carries. He's averaging better YPG than Best and better YPC than Quizz. But look at what Quizz does. He gets his yardage every time. Jahvid Best's biggest problem is Tedford doesn't get him the ball enough. And I don't buy the whole "worse offensive line" argument. Let's check out the star ratings of each kids and compare. And don't tell me that you have a new OLine coach either. I refuse to believe that these kids forgot everything Michalczik taught them.

9. Cal's pass defense so far this year has been...suspect. Can Oregon State take advantage? Will they?

Absolutely we can. I believe we have one of the deepest receiving cores in the conference. Again, the key is pressure of Canfield. If we can get the running game going early, it could be a long game for the Golden Bears.

‘I’m just going to focus on getting healthy’ in bye week

AndyPanda — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:31:08 -0000

Oregon St. linebacker Keaton Kristick opens his weekly column for the Sporting News Today with an acknowledgement of Stanford running back Toby Gerhart, and the Beavers' motivation heading into last week's game with the Cardinal.

BY KEATON KRISTICK

For SN Today

We have a bye week coming up, and it was good to get a win going into it. Stanford was a pretty good team, and we're excited about being 4-2.

Toby Gerhart is one of the best backs we're going to play this year. To contain a back like that was awesome, and it said a lot about our defense. We practiced a lot, and we knew how much this game really meant to us.

They beat us in our first game last year, and it really served as motivation. We didn't want it tohappen again, looking back at how it really affected our schedule. Gerhart is a really good player,and we wanted to make sure he didn't gas us like he did in 2008.

The Wild Beaver formation that Jacquizz Rodgers used to have a career night in the Beavers' 38-28 win continues to create a buzz, including with Kristick, who looks at why it's effective.

The offense came out firing, and that helped us out so much. We unleashed the Wild Beaver,where Quizz Rodgers would take the snaps. I think that could be a deadly package for us. When you have that many athletes in the backfield, I assume it's pretty hard to stop. Having the quick snap, being able to run right off the snap, you don't really know which way it's going to go, and it eliminates the reaction time.

Kristick also updates us on the condition of his shoulder.

My shoulder was good after I aggravated my stinger in the Arizona State game. I got some extra padding on it. Have you seen those Nike commercials with Adrian Peterson, and at the end he's looking at you mean and all? I was giving my teammates the same look at halftime, because I was wearing that stuff.

On the subjects of cross-country motorcycling and freshem, Kristics says:

During the bye week, I'm considering going cross-country on my motorcycle. No, I'm kidding. I'm just going to focus on getting healthy. But we'll be practicing, for sure. Coaches usually use the bye week to get the younger guys involved and help them adapt.

We didn't redshirt quite a few freshmen, and I'll tell you the truth: Ever since I've been here, the recruiting has only gone uphill. We started out with a solid class in '06 when I came here, and every year you have more and more athletes who are looking to contribute as freshmen and sophomores.

Kristick wraped up with a look ahead to watching some football, and then USC.

Oregon State really is an up-and-coming program. It should be kind of neat to get Saturday and Sunday off. We get some time to relax, watch football and go about things as if you're a normal student for a little bit. But then we've got USC, one of the biggest games of the year. So there's a lot more focus than you would imagine, but at the same time, you do get some rest.

- As told to Jim Ryan